Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-01-13
THE RED ACORN.
By JOHN M'ELRoY,
Author Of "Andersonuille," Etc.
Copyrighted by National Tribune Publishing Co..
and published by arrangement with them1

raise hand agin Union man agin eff yell
only spar my life
xiii We, Pete Hoslkinsl" said Fortner, with
unfathomable contempt. "What consete We
hev ter think yer with the powder an lead.
hain't no bullets ter waste on carbon
He struck the abject fellow a couple of
singing blows ON the face with the ramrod,
replaced it in the thimbles, and sprang up the
rocks just as the head of the cavalry appeared
around the bend Of the road a few rods away.
Overtaking Harry shortly, he heard about
the same time the Confederates on the road
below strike into trot
"They know hit all now" he said, IAN hev
started in chase. Let's jog on lively, an get
ter whar We kin head 'em off,
Night had fallen in the meantime, but the
full moon had risen Immediately, making it
almost as light as day.
After half an hours fast walking, the two
Unionlsts had cut across the long horseshoe
around which the Confederates were travel
ing, and had come down much ahead of them
on the other side of the mountain, and lust
where the road led up the steep ascent of
another mountain.
There was loneliness about the spot that
was terrible. Over it hung the Thought and
deadly feel of solitude" The only break for
miles in the primeval forest was that made
for the narrow road. House or cabin there
was none in all the gloomy reaches of rocks
and gnarled trees. 1t was too inhospitable
region to tempt even the widest squatter.
The food of moonlight made the desolation
more oppressive than ever by making palpa-
bic and suggestive the inky abysses under the
trees and in the thickets.
FORMER looked up the road to his right and
listened intently.
A waterfall mumbled somewhere in the
neighborhood. The pines and hemlocks near
the summit sighed drearily. A gray fox,
which had probably just supped off a pleas
ant, sat on log and barked out his gluttonous
satisfaction. A wildcat, as yet supperless,
screamed its envy from a cliff half O mile
away.
II can't heah anything of Aunt Debby an
the Others" said Fortner, at length; $50 |
reckon they're clean over the mounting, an
bout safe by this time. Them beasts are
purity good travellers, | imagine, an they
hain't let no grass grow in under their hufs.
But the Confederates are coming, hand
over hand" said Harry. who had been
watching to the left and listening. 81 hear
them now quite plainly. Yes, there they
are, he continued, as two or three galloped
around a turn in the road, followed at
little interval by others.
The metallic clang of the rapid hoof beats
on the rocks rang through the somber aisles
of the forest. Noisy fox and antiphonal wild
cat stopped to listen to this invasion of sound
Quick! let's get in cover" said Former
rye make fur tibet rock up thar" said
Fortner TO Harry, pointing to a spot several
hundred yards above them, "and stay there
tell come. Keep close in the shadder, SOS
they won't see ye"
ut seems to me that ought to stay with
you" said Harry, indecisively.
mo; go. Ye can't do no good heah Ones
better nor two. III be up thar soon Go,
quick"
There was no time for debate and Harry
did as hidden.
Fortner stepped into the inky shadow Of
large rock, against which he leaned. The great
broad face of the rock, gray from its cover
ing of minute ash-colored lichens, was toward
the pursUers, and shone white as marble in
the flood of moonlight The darkness seemed
banked up around him, but within his arms
length it was as light as day. The long rifle
barrel reached from the darkness into the
light, past the corner of the rock against
which it rested. The bright rays made the
little bead" near the muzzle CLEAN like dia-
mond, and lighted up the slit as fine as a hair
in the hindsight. Three little clicks, as if Of
twigs breaking under a rabbits foot, told that
the triggers had been set and the hammer
raised
The horsemen, much scattered by the pur-
suit, clattered onward In ones and twos,
with wide intervals between, they reached
along half mile Of the road Two-the best
mounted-rode together at the head Two
hundred yards below the great white rock,
which Shone as innocent and kindly as fleecy
summer cloud, a broad rivulet wound its way
toward the neighboring creek. The blown
horses scented the grateful water, and checked
down to drink of it. The right hand rider
loosened his bride that his steed might crafty
himself. The other frightened his rein and
struck with his spurs. His morse gathered"
and leaped across the stream. As the armed
hoofs struck sparks from the smooth stones
on the opposite side, the rider of the drinking
horse saw burst out of the white rock above
them gray cloud with a central tongue of
flame, and his comrade fall to the ground.
His immediate reply with both barrels Of
his shotgun showed that he did not mistake
this for any natural phenomenon. The
sound of the shots brought the rest up at a
gallop, and a rapid fire was opened on the
end of the rock.
But the instant Fortner fired he sprang
back behind the rock, and then ran under its
cover little distance up the mountain side to
a dense laurel thicket, in which he lay down
behind log and reloaded his rifle. He lis
tened The firing had ceased, and a half
dozen dismounted men were carefully APP
preaching the spot whence he had sent the
fatal shot. He heard the captain order
man TO ride back and bring up the wagon,
that the body of the dead man might be put
in it. As the wagon was heard rumbling up
the dismounted men reported to the captain
that the bushwhacker had made good his es-
cape and was no longer behind the rock.
swell, he hasn't gone very far, said the
captain, with a savage oath. "He can't have
got any distance away, and I'll have him,
dead or alive, before leave this spot. The
whole gang of Lincolnite hellhounds are
freed right up there, and not one of them
shall get away alive" He put bone whistle
to his lips and sounded a shrill signal. A
horseman trotted up from the Iear in re-
spouse to the call, leading hound with a
leash. Take the dog up to that rock there,
Bill, said the captain, "and set him on that
devils trail. Five more of you dismount and
deploy there on the other side of the road.
All of you move forward cautiously, watch
ing the dog, and make sure you save the
whelp when he is run out"
The men left their saddles and moved for
ward with manifest reluctance They had
the highly emotional nature usual in the poor
white of the south, and this was deeply de-
pressed by the wierd loneliness that brooded
over everything, and the bloodshed they had
witnessed. Their thirst for vengeance was
being tempered rapidly by growing super
stitious fear. There was something super
natural in these mysterious killings. Each
man, therefore, only moved forward as he
felt the captains eye on him, or his comrades
advanced
scent, and started to follow FORMERS foot
steps.
Hes done tuck the trail, Capn," called
back one of the men.
"All right" answered the officer; don't
take your eyes Off of him for second till he
trees the game.n
But the logs and the rocks and the impene-
trable darkness in the shadows made il i'm
possible to follow the movements of the
hound every moment. Only Former was able
to do this. He could see the great Creenish-
yellow eyes burn in the pitchy depths and
steadily draw nearer TO him. They entered
the laurel thicket, and the beast growled as
he felt the nearneSs of his prey.
Wolf must be gittin close ter him." said
one of the men,
Fortner laid his rifle across the log, and
drew from his belt long keen knife. He